Petit Fours are small pastries served at the end of a meal or with afternoon tea. They can be dry or glazed and are covered in fondant with candy decorations. They are traditionally eaten with a sweet frozen dessert or a dessert drink.
Petit Fours refer to pastries that are often served at the end of a large meal or with afternoon tea. Originally a French term, the name literally translates as “little oven” and comes from the method by which they were made. Historically, pies in France were cooked in charcoal-fired ovens, which burned hotter than wood-fired ovens, at temperatures that were more difficult to control. After baking large cakes in the oven, the heat remaining as the oven cooled was enough to bake smaller ones. These have come to be known in the modern day as the little fours.
These confections can be found both prepackaged and fresh in shops offering fine baked goods, but they can also be made at home. They fall into two categories, called sec or glacé. All petit fours have layers and are covered in fondant, which is a pasty mixture of sugar and water. Also, there may be hard or soft candy decorations on them, often in the shape of a rose or some other delicate thing.
Petit Fours Sec are “dry” confections that do not involve further embellishment after they are cooked and promptly served. These include ladyfingers, macaroons and cigarettes. Petit fours glacé, on the other hand, can be manipulated in a variety of ways once cooked. They can be dipped and decorated with icing or any form of icing or filled with sweet fillings such as jam, cream or chocolate. Miniature sponge cakes or angel food cakes are appropriate bases for these confections. Other types of glacé include eclairs and tarts.
Traditionally, petit fours are eaten on two occasions. One is as a snack with afternoon tea, complemented by a sweet frozen dessert such as sherbet or ice cream. They can also be eaten at the end of a hearty meal or buffet, accompanied by a glass of dessert drink, which includes liqueurs, coffee, tea and dessert wine.
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